Class Act: Our First-Ever Spot Pass Workshops This March 2026

Spot editors love a versatile product, and what better way to kick off Spot Pass than with cookies? You can eat them alone or share them with others; you can bake enough for a few or enough to feed an army. It’s the gateway to baking, as Artisanal Cookie Making Workshop instructor Chef Bam Piencenaves shared with us when we first approached her about teaching this class, and we agree. It’s hard to mess up cookies, especially when you’ve got an expert baking instructor, well, instructing you on how to make it. And the best part? The recipe is so versatile, we were able to turn one cookie dough base  into three different kinds of artisanal cookies by the end of the workshop.

We launched the first of our Spot Pass workshops on March 7, 2026, in the newly-relocated and renovated The Design Room PH in Quezon City. It’s a cozy home turned into a haven for bakers of all experience levels to hone their craft and attend specialized baking classes, and it’s good for up to 20 students. The Design Room PH’s classes, which include savory cooking recipes and arts and crafts workshops as well, are taught by Chef Bam and a rotating roster of instructors. It’s also a commissary for Custom Cakes by Bam, where, if you’re not up to making your own pastries, you can order customized cakes, pastries, and even dessert tables for your private events.

Upon arrival, attendees were treated to a delicious coffee bar by Easy, as if we weren’t pumped up enough by the promise of having freshly-baked cookies at the end of the class. The workshop started with Chef Bam’s very thorough explanation of what each ingredient does and how it affects the final product; yes, we were taught the secrets behind making chewier or crunchier cookies, depending on our tastes.

And remember when we said versatile? Chef Bam’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe was transformed into three kinds of “chunk”: Double Chocolate, Chocolate Toffee, and Chocolate Walnut. As a bonus, Chef Bam not only shared how we could transform the recipe to make Biscoff cookies; she even raffled off actual Biscoff biscuits and butter spreads. 

Participants were divided into three groups, and each group got to make one variety of the Chocolate Chunk recipe. And when the cookies came out of the oven, the space was transformed not just by the mouthwatering aroma of freshly-baked cookies—it became a cookie swap, so everyone got to try all the cookie flavors. There was another bonus: Chef Bam prepared soft serve ice cream so participants could have cookies a la mode.

The Artisanal Cookie Making Workshop was a rush (sugar and otherwise), and aside from the cookies, everyone got to bring home goodies that’s sure to inspire more baking at home.

One of the first classes we thought of when we ideated for Spot Pass was a Wines 101 workshop. Aside from the fact that most of the Spot editors just love wine, we also wanted to offer classes that made “fancy” food less intimidating—which is perfect, because that’s what Managing Director of Terry’s Bistro, sommelier, and Spot Pass 101 instructor Meggie Ong also wanted to do. It was as if the stars aligned as Spot and Terry’s agreed that seeing the wines list at your favorite fine dining restaurant doesn’t have to be a confusing experience, and that enjoying good wine doesn’t mean you need to go for the most expensive bottle.

So on March 14, 2026, we geared and dressed up for our second Spot Pass leg: Wines 101 at Terry’s Bistro in Salcedo Village, Makati. This branch has a more intimate space, but did you know that the second floor is perfect for workshops like ours (or a mid-sized dinner party)? We certainly were able to get the most out of this wine tasting and pairing class as their function rooms provided an ambient environment where participants enjoyed sipping, slurping, and pairing different types of wines.

While of course each Spot Pass leg is tailored to be an experience, we would be remiss to plan a workshop that didn’t give context to its topic. So sommelier Meggie started the class with a short intro to wines: what it is, where it’s from, how it’s made, and how all of these factors affect how it tastes. 

Then, she moved on to the exciting part: wine tasting. It’s not as simple as just drinking the wine, and Meggie expertly guided participants on what to look out for and how to gauge the flavor and quality of the different wines we tried that day. The wines ranged from white, rosé, red, and even orange, and everyone could decide which ones ultimately were their favorite.

Could we ever leave an event with an empty stomach? Of course not—which is why we also had a little wine pairing moment, where attendees learned which types of food paired well with particular kinds of wine. The pairing featured delicious pintxos from Terry’s Bistro, and if we had any complaints at all, it would be that we couldn’t get seconds of everything we ate. 

The night ended with another surprise from Terry’s: three lucky Spotters were able to bring home bottles of wine from Terry’s Bistro’s collection! Apart from that, everyone got to bring home tote bags filled with vouchers and the option to purchase their new favorite wines at a discount. 

The matcha movement is here to stay—not just because we at Spot are observing how more and more people are really getting into matcha, but also because we actually love it so much that we are willing it to be true. Which is why, matcha lover to matcha lover, it just made sense that we would make a matcha workshop happen. And this time, we got not just one but two instructors to lead the class: Jacque de Borja-Medestomas of Jacque and Matcha, and Kia Alampay of Moonbug Matcha.

On March 21, we returned to Terry’s Bistro in Salcedo Village, Makati for the third workshop: Spot Pass Matcha 101. The venue really lends itself well to versatile setups, and it accommodated the participants as they sat through Jacque’s explanation on the cultural significance of matcha and did tastings, and even as participants moved around when they learned to make their own matcha lattes with Kia.

This time around, the Toyota Ativ, Spot’s mobility partner for Matcha 101 ensured our team got to the venue in comfort and style. The class started with Jacque, whose years of immersing in Japanese matcha culture really shined through her introduction to matcha; participants learned what makes matcha, well, matcha, and how it differs from other green tea powders offered by non-Japanese suppliers.

Then, Jacque (literally) got everyone’s heart pumping as she walked students through different matcha samples, from single cultivars provided by Jacque to blends provided by Moonbug Matcha. Through each sip, we got to learn how matcha cultivars, roasting methods, and other factors affect taste and flavor profiles.

Through it all, attendees got to balance the stronger matcha notes with sweet bites, care of our major sponsor Conti’s Cookie Nibblers. Kia later joined Jacque to teach participants about creating matcha-based drinks and how to pair different kinds of matcha powders with different types of milk, complete with a short milk tasting session to really get into how different milks can enhance or add new dimension to matcha.

And as if we hadn’t had enough matcha already (because let’s face it, we really can’t have enough), the class ended with Kia sharing a matcha drink recipe that participants could tweak: they got to pick their favorite matcha powder, pair it with their choice of milk and flavored syrup, and make their own matcha lattes from scratch.

Everyone got to go home with goodies from both Jacque and Matcha and powders from Moonbug Matcha, plus a cool new matcha latte recipe that they can always replicate at home.

Is there something that screams more Community than a giant pan of paella? Not only did we think this was a perfect dish to end our month-long quest to fill your weekends with workshops; the Paella Making Workshop taught by Chef Michelle San Miguel is proof that while too many cooks spoil the broth, it’s nice to have one or two other cooks with you when you whip up a Spanish feast. Many hands make light work, after all, especially when you’re planning a five-course dinner meant to feed at least five people… because yes, that’s what we ended up doing at this last workshop, held on March 25, 2026.

Tucked away inside Gourdo’s in Podium Mall, Gourdo’s Workshop is a space that’s specially created for cooking and baking classes. Inside you’ll find work benches that make it easy to release your inner chef, and when you step out of the workshop area, you’ll find that you really won’t have an excuse to try your newly-honed chef skills and recipes at home because you’ll be able to shop for any kitchen tool or equipment you need at Gourdo’s. It’s a trap, we realized… but it’s one we’ll happily walk into every time.

What does karaoke have to do with making paella? Nothing, but because us Spot editors just had so much energy going in, we thought we’d take our mobility partner for Spot Pass Paella, the BYD Seagull, for a spin. And what do you know; it’s got a built-in car-eoke system that we abused—er, enjoyed as we headed to Gourdo’s Workshop in Podium.

At the Paella Making workshop, participants paired off and worked together to make their own paella mixta, which was a chicken-and-seafood-based paella. Chef Michelle showed her students how to make it first, and then supervised as everyone got cooking. It’s one of those you had to be there moments, as the space just slowly but surely filled up with the bewitching aromas of all the ingredients getting added to the pan. 

As we waited for the paella to cook, Chef Michelle moved on to the (many) bonus recipes she had also prepared: attendees learned how to make sangria, tortilla española (a kind of Spanish omelette), gambas al ajillo (a Spanish tapa featuring shrimp), and crema catalana (the Spanish version of a crème brûlée). We really got more than what we bargained for, and by the time the paellas finished cooking, we had added a whole Spanish menu to our repertoire.

Our patience was rewarded when everything finished cooking: everyone got to share the delicious paella, the creamy tortilla española, and the garlicky gambas with our own glasses of sangria.

We ended our meal with the not-too-sweet crema catalana, and because each pair had also made their own paella, there was still plenty left over to take home! 

And it didn’t end there; everyone also got vouchers from our major sponsor, SM Malls Online, so participants could shop a little more at home.